Plea for exchange of prisoner, Brunswick, 1864

Description

William Smyth of Brunswick wrote to Brig. Gen. George F. Shepley, commander of the Union Department of Norfolk and Portsmouth, seeking his help in getting his son, Lt. William H. Smyth of the 16th Maine, a prisoner of war in Macon, Georgia, exchanged.

Smyth wrote that his son had been a prisoner at Libby Prison, but escaped with 15 others, only to be captured again and taken to Macon. An order to have him exchanged had not been acted on, Smyth wrote.